1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel ink ribbon cassette. Particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for preventing damage and pollution of a part of an ink ribbon exposed outside of a cassette case housing the ink ribbon.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show an example of a conventional printer and an ink ribbon cassette.
A printer xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 is a thermal transfer printer, which uses an ink ribbon cassette xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d.
In the ink ribbon cassette xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d, an ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is wound in a cassette case xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d, and a part of the ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d crosses an opening portion of a recess portion xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d formed in the cassette case xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d to be exposed in the outside.
When the ink ribbon cassette xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d is mounted in the printer xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, a thermal transfer head xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d provided in the printer xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is relatively inserted in the recess portion xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d of the ink ribbon cassette xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d.
When printing is started, a printing paper is pressed to the thermal transfer head xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d through the part of the ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d exposed outside of the cassette case xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d, so that ink on the ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is transferred onto the printing paper by heat of the thermal transfer head xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d.
In the foregoing conventional ink ribbon cassette. xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d, since the part of the ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is exposed outside of the cassette case xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d, when it is mounted in the printer xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, the part of the ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d exposed outside of the cassette case xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d must be made to pass a narrow gap between the thermal transfer head xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d and a mechanism for pressing the printing paper to the thermal transfer head xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d, so that there is a fear that the ink ribbon xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d hitches on the thermal transfer head xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d or a mechanical portion of its periphery and is damaged.
An object of the present invention is therefore to prevent damage and pollution of a part of an ink ribbon exposed outside of a cassette case housing the ink ribbon.
In order to achieve the above object, an ink ribbon cassette of the present invention includes a detachably attached cover body for covering a part of an ink ribbon exposed outside of a cassette case.
Thus, in the ink ribbon cassette of the present invention, since the part of the ink ribbon exposed outside of the cassette case is covered with the cover body, there is no fear that the ink ribbon is damaged.